U.S. patent application number 10/711525 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-23 for g-force push-push latch.
This patent application is currently assigned to LEAR CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Charles A. Haba.
Application Number | 20060061110 10/711525 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35451999 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060061110 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haba; Charles A. |
March 23, 2006 |
G-FORCE PUSH-PUSH LATCH
Abstract
The push-push latch of the present invention is attached to a
storage compartment and allows the door of the compartment to move
between an open position and a closed position. The latch will
remain closed and in a locked position when the door is subjected
to a force greater than a predetermined force. The latch includes a
track member and a guide member. The track member is molded of a
polymer and generally defines a heart shaped track having an
integrated retaining section and a channel connecting the heart
shaped track and the retaining section. The guide member moves
within the heart shaped track to facilitate opening and closing of
the compartment door. In the event that the compartment door is
subjected to a force greater than a predetermined value while in
the closed position, the guide member will be forced through the
channel and locked into the retaining section, thereby retaining
the door in its closed position.
Inventors: |
Haba; Charles A.; (Troy,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JOHN A. ARTZ
ARTZ & ARTZ, P.C.
28333 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 250
SOUTHFIELD
MI
48034
US
|
Assignee: |
LEAR CORPORATION
21557 Telegraph Road
Southfield
MI
|
Family ID: |
35451999 |
Appl. No.: |
10/711525 |
Filed: |
September 23, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
292/300 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 292/683 20150401;
E05B 77/02 20130101; Y10T 292/42 20150401; Y10S 292/04
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
292/300 |
International
Class: |
E05C 19/00 20060101
E05C019/00 |
Claims
1. A push-push latch attached to a storage compartment having a
door that moves between an opened position and a closed position,
said push-push latch comprising: a track member defining a
generally heart shaped track having a generally V-shaped notch; a
guide member that moves within said track to facilitate positioning
said compartment door in the closed position when said guide member
rests in the V-shaped notch; wherein said track member is molded
from a polymer and includes an integrated enclosed retaining
section adjacent said V-shaped notch and a double wall charnel
connecting said V-shaped notch and said enclosed retaining section,
wherein said channel has a width dimension less than the width
dimension of said guide member; and wherein when the compartment
door is in the closed position and the guide member is positioned
in the V-shaped notch and when subjected to a force greater than a
predetermined value said guide member is forced directly from said
V-shaped notch through said channel and locked into said retaining
section locking said compartment door in the closed position.
2. The push-push latch of claim 1, wherein said walls of said
channel flex out when said guide member is subjected to a force
greater than a predetermined force value allowing said guide member
through to said retaining section.
3. The push-push latch of claim 1 further comprising a connector
attached to the compartment door.
4. (canceled)
5. (canceled)
6. The push-push latch of claim 1, wherein said heart shaped track
further includes a pathway A, a pathway B, a first corner, a
pathway C, a pathway D, a second corner, and a pathway E, wherein
said pathway A is adjacent said pathway B and said pathway E, said
pathway B is adjacent said first corner, said first corner is
adjacent said pathway C, said pathway C is adjacent said V-shaped
notch, said V-shaped notch is adjacent said pathway D, said pathway
D is adjacent said second corner, and said second corner is
adjacent pathway E.
7. The push-push latch of claim 6 wherein when the compartment door
is in the opened position, said guide member is positioned in said
pathway A.
8. The push-push latch of claim 6 wherein when the compartment door
is moving from the opened position into the closed position, said
guide member travels from said pathway A into and along the length
of said pathway B, around said first corner, into and along the
length of said pathway C, and coming to a rest in said V-shaped
notch.
9. The push-push latch of claim 6 wherein when the compartment door
is moving from the closed position into the opened position, said
guide member travels from said V-shaped notch, into and along the
length of said pathway D, around said second corner, into and along
the length of said pathway E, and into said pathway A.
10. The push-push latch of claim 6 wherein when the compartment
door is in the dosed position and subjected to a force greater than
a predetermined value, said guide member moves from said V-shaped
notch into said channel forcing said walls to flex out and said
guide member comes to a rest in said re ting section.
11. The push-push latch of claim 1, wherein said V-shaped notch
includes a wall that assists in retaining said guide member in the
closed position.
12. The push-push latch of claim 1, wherein said track member
defines an axis and said guide member moves radially with respect
to the axis to travel within said heart-shaped track.
13. The push-push latch of claim 1, wherein said storage
compartment is in an automobile.
14. The push-push latch of claim 1, wherein said heart shaped track
further includes a first pathway, a second pathway, a first corner,
a third pathway, a fourth pathway, a second corner, and a fifth
pathway, wherein said first pathway is adjacent said second pathway
and said fifth pathway, said second pathway is adjacent said first
corner, said first corner is adjacent said third pathway, said
third pathway is adjacent said V-shaped notch, said V-shaped notch
is adjacent said fourth pathway, said fourth pathway is adjacent
said second corner, and said second corner is adjacent said fifth
pathway.
15. A storage compartment comprising: a compartment body; a
compartment door that is attached to said compartment body and
moves between a closed position and an opened position; a push-push
latch that is attached to said compartment body and engages said
compartment door, said push-push latch having a track member
defining a generally heart shaped track having a generally V-shaped
notch, a guide member that moves within said track to facilitate
positioning said compartment door in the closed position when said
guide member rests in the V-shaped notch, wherein said track member
is molded from a polymer and includes an integrated bounded
retaining section adjacent said V-shaped notch and a two wall
channel connecting said V-shaped notch and said retaining section,
said channel has a width dimension that is less Fan a width
dimension of said heart shaped track; and wherein when the
compartment door is in the closed position and the guide member is
positioned in the V-shaped notch and when subjected to a force
greater than a predetermined value said guide member is forced
directly from said V-shaped notch through said channel causing said
walls to flex out and locked into said retaining section when said
walls flex back in.
16. (canceled)
17. The storage compartment of claim 15 wherein said track member
defines an axis and said guide member moves radially with respect
to the axis to travel within said heart-shaped track.
18. The storage compartment of claim 15 wherein said heart shaped
track further includes a first pathway, a second pathway, a first
corner, a third pathway, a fourth pathway, a second corner, and a
fifth pathway, wherein said first pathway is adjacent said second
pathway and said fifth pathway, said second pathway is adjacent
said first corner, said first corner is adjacent said third
pathway, said third pathway is adjacent said V-shaped notch, said
V-shaped notch is adjacent said fourth pathway, said fourth pathway
is adjacent said second corner, and said second corner is adjacent
said fifth pathway.
19. A method of locking a compartment door in a closed position
when subjected to an excessive force, wherein the compartment door
moves between an opened and a closed position via a push-push latch
made from a polymer and having a track member and a guide member,
comprising the steps of: A) subjecting the door of the compartment
to an excessive force; B) causing a guide member to move through a
channel in a track member wherein the channel walls flex out
allowing the guide member through; and C) retaining the guide
member in an integrated bounded retaining section when the channel
walls flex in.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising manually removing the
guide member from the retaining section.
21. The push-push latch of claim 3 wherein said track member
includes a clamp member having a first end and a second end, said
first end includes a protrusion and said second end is pivotally
attached to said track member.
22. The push-push latch of claim 21 wherein said connector includes
a first end and a second end; said first end is attached to the
compartment door and said second end includes a protrusion that
matingly engages with said clamp member protrusion to secure the
compartment door in the closed position.
23. The push-push latch of claim 22 wherein the storage compartment
includes a recess for receipt of said track member and said track
member is spring loaded within the recess.
24. (canceled)
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a latch system
used in association with automotive compartments. The present
invention more particularly relates to a push-push latch for use in
any compartment in an automobile within the head impact zone.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Push-push latches are being used much more frequently in
automotive compartments. There is a large probability that in the
event of an accident, the push-push latch will be subjected to a
force that opens the compartment and allows the objects within the
compartment to exit as projectiles. Therefore, there is a need to
retain the latch in a closed position in the event that the latch
is subjected to an excessive force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention addresses this need by providing a
push-push latch that can be used in association with an automotive
compartment where the latch includes a track member that defines a
generally heart shaped track having a V-shaped notch and a guide
member that moves within the track to facilitate positioning the
compartment door in the closed position when the guide member rests
in the V-shaped notch. Further, the track member is molded from a
polymer and includes an integrated retaining section that is
positioned adjacent the V-shaped notch and a channel that connects
the heart-shaped track to the retaining section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0004] The present invention will be described by way of example
with reference to the following drawings:
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a cutaway side view of an automotive
compartment with the door in the open position.
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway side view of an automotive
overhead compartment with the door in the closed position.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view of the track member with
the guide member in the opened position.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional view of the track member with
the guide member in the closed position.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates a sectional view of the track member
locked into the retaining section.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the preferred method of
this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0011] The push-push latch of the present invention, shown
generally at 20 in FIGS. 1-5, is used in association with a storage
compartment 22 in an automobile to facilitate moving the
compartment door 24 between an opened position, as illustrated in
FIG. 1, and a closed position, as illustrated in FIG. 2. It should
be noted that the push-push latch of the present invention is not
limited to automotive compartments, rather, it can be used in
association with any compartment or environment that requires a
latch.
[0012] When the door 24 is in the open position it is pushed by a
user inwardly toward the compartment body 26 and engaged in the
closed position. To open the door 24 from the closed position, the
door 24 is again pushed inwardly toward the compartment body 26 and
the latch 20 is disengaged, thus releasing the door 24 into the
open position. In the event that the compartment door 24 is closed
and subjected to a force that exceeds a predetermined value, the
door 24 will become locked in the closed position.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 3, the push-push latch 20 includes a track
member 30 and a guide member 32. The track member 30 is molded from
a polymer and defines a generally heart shaped track 34 having a
V-shaped notch 36. The guide member 32 moves within the track 34 to
facilitate positioning the compartment door 24 between the closed
position and the opened position.
[0014] There is a connector 38, shown in FIG. 1, that is
permanently attached to the compartment door 24 and that engages
the push-push latch 20. In other words, neither the track member 30
nor the guide member 32 is permanently attached to the compartment
door 24. Rather, the connector 38 engages either the track member
30 or the guide member 32 depending on the configuration of the
system.
[0015] The heart-shaped track 34 includes pathway A also referred
to as first pathway 40, pathway B also referred to as second
pathway 42, first corner 44, pathway C also referred to as third
pathway 46, the V-shaped notch 36, pathway D also referred to as
fourth pathway 48, second corner 50, and pathway E also referred to
as fifth pathway 52. The V-shaped notch 36 includes a wall 54 that
assists in retaining guide member 32 in the closed position.
[0016] It is important to note that track member 30 has the ability
to move axially along axis 56 and that guide member 32 has the
ability to move radially with respect to axis 56.
[0017] Referring to FIG. 3, under normal circumstances when the
door 24 of the compartment 22 is in the opened position the guide
member 32 is resting in pathway A 40. When a force is exerted on
the door 24 to push it into the closed position, the connector 38
on the compartment door 24 engages the push-push latch 20. This
engagement forces guide member 32 to move from pathway A 40 into
pathway B 42 and travel along the length of pathway B 42, and
around the first corner 44 into pathway C 46. Guide member 32 moves
along the length of pathway C 46 and comes to a rest at the
V-shaped notch 36. Therefore, when in the closed position the guide
member 32 is positioned in the V-shaped notch 36 of the track
member 30 resting against wall 54.
[0018] When a force is exerted on the compartment door 24 in an
effort to move the door 24 from the closed position to the opened
position, under normal circumstances, guide member 32 is forced out
from V-shaped notch 36 and into pathway D 48. After traveling the
length of pathway D 48 guide member 32 moves around the second
corner 50 and travels down the length of pathway E 52. Pathway E 52
merges into pathway A 40 and guide member 32 comes to a rest back
in pathway A 40. The connector 38 disengages from the push-push
latch 20 once guide member 32 is positioned within pathway A 40
causing the compartment door 24 to move into the opened
position.
[0019] The majority of the time the compartment door 24 is going to
be in the closed position. A user typically will open the door 24
only to put an object into the compartment 22 or to remove an
object from the compartment 22 and immediately return the door 24
to the closed position. Therefore, the guide member 32 rests in the
V-shaped notch 36 of the track member 30 the majority of the
time.
[0020] In the event of an automobile collision, there is a chance
that the compartment door 24 will be subjected to an excessive
force. Therefore, it is desired to keep the door 24 locked in its
closed position under such circumstances, rather than being allowed
to open thereby subjecting the vehicle occupant to an open door
member or exposing them to the objects contained within the storage
compartment 22. To address this situation, the present invention
provides for a track member 30 that is molded from a polymer and
includes an integrated retaining section 28 that is
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